Golden Oldie

Today I joined a Plas y Brenin group led by Dave Evans and Dave Rudkin on the West Face of Aonach Mor

I went up the superd "Golden Oldie" alongside Dave E, Mike and his son.

Dave E & Mike

Mike & his son

 

  

Dave Rudkin took a party up the ridge alongside.  

Dave Rudkin & party

Beinn Dearg, North Scotland - a missed opportunty

We headed further north hoping to climb Emerald Gully IV.4 but I woosed out. A blister is coming and I have winter clients arriving in 2 days so need to be careful, also we heard warnings of gullys full of snow and  the recent news of avalanches. So we walked in optimistically but I felt in need of a rest and we turned around.

We had great views of a very white An Teallach, but this is a picture of todays objective, Beinn Dearg (not reached... this time)

We headed back south, breaking the journey for a nice lunch at the Mountain Cafe Aviemore 

There's loads of snow around and a few days ago Aviemore was snowed in with Tesco's running out of some foods.

More blue sky!

Applecross, NW Scotland - March Hare's Gully

We headed North (after climbing Eas Anie) on wonderfully narrow roads to stop at the Jacobites Mountaineering Club hut at Inver. A wonderfully remote and cared for hut. Despite being away from the road the members have carried in an Ikea kitchen, large gas bottles and a solar system for lighting - extreemly impressive.

The sleeping is on wooden platforms (needing a thermarest and very warm bag) and after a late supper and long day we were off to do some heavy-duty snoring before getting up (slightly too late) and heading off.

Beinn Bhan has a series of cliffs and this picture is the very impressive Coire Na Poite. The ice in the left/middle is Silver Tear V.5 350m, the most popular route today. We headed for March Hare's Gully IV.4 300mtrs where I grabbed the crux first pitch - wonderful and well protected with hexes and ice screws.

We stretched the pitches and got onto the ridge and summit in time for photos and to decend just as it got dark. We'd summitted ahead of other teams that started ahead of us on other routes and hope the decent in the dark was ok.

Yet another sunny day - we are getting tanned (when out of the gulleys)!

Buachaille Etive Mor, Glencoe

On the summit of Stob Dearg (part of the Buckle) 1022m

the summit ridge walk off

Fantastic weather on the Buckle, we walked in early with other parties heading for the poular routes of Crowberry Gully, Curved Ridge. Another pair had a "slip" on Raven's Gully V.6 (they were ok if a little shaken and limping).

Heading over to the first pitch of North Buttress IV.4

We climbed North Buttress IV.4 which is an obvious route linking a series of chimneys on the big buttress. Navigating to the route is fairly simple (especially with blue skies). Follow the well trodden path until you cross the prominent stream, then scramble up towards the 2 large boulders silhoueted on the ridge. When you're on the ridge head upwards to the obvious chimneys and the start of the route.

Plenty of rock on this route

Conditions were good, but a little more freeze/thaw will increase the number of ice axe placements. It is a mixed route so be prepared for conditions as shown in the picture above (especially on the crux moves).

Looking down at a sihouete if the mountain cast over the Glencoe road

No need for ice screws but got some great Nut and Hex placements. It's got some great wee cracks to hook your tools into.

Ben Nevis from Buchaille's North East summit at 1022m

The snow was stable so we decended down the gully of Coire na Tullach, with a bit of glissading (bum slides) to loose height swiftly. BEWARE - this is not an appropriate decent if avalanche conditions are poor.
Back to the car and off for an early and well earned fish & chip supper.

Ben Nevis climbing

A great day's climbing on The Ben. It was cold last night and minus 8.5c when I met Dan (from Real Adventure) and Bridget, my "clients" for guiding today. We used a key to the forest gate and drove up in my Golf (more instructors seem to have VW's and La Sportiva winter boots than any other brands). I have winter tyres and chains - couldn't have got up the track without them.

North Face of the Ben whilst walking in.

It was an interesting day apart from the climbing - we saw a fell runner in his shorts on the summit (wow!), people scrambling just above the start of Tower Ridge at 4pm (wow - have a headtorch and/or be sleeping out the night) and somebody using ice axes to make an ascent of the shelter on the Ben's summit!

My instructor plan was to guide Harrison's Climb Direct, a IV.4 four-star on Carn Dearg Buttress, but it looked thin of ice from the track so we headed up towards Italian Climb, but it also loked thin, so we kept ascending to climb Glover's Chimney III.4 which meets the ridge at Tower Gap, then follows Tower Ridge to the top.

People on the summit of Ben Nevis

Glover's Chimney is in the book 'Cold Climbs' but we had it ot ourselves. The initial ice is good, then it's a long easier plod up steep snow before the final rocky chimney, a rock climbing conclusion before it meeets Tower Ridge at at knife edge point of the ridge but you can clip the in-situ rope before scrambling on up out of Tower Gap and heading on to the summit.

Looking back down Tower Ridge from above Tower Gap

Navigation was a doddle today - superb views and tracks in the snow to follow. Though one lady did walk over to us at the top of Tower Ridge to ask if it was the decent gully.

Walking down to the decent at Number 4 gully.

The cornice on No 4 gulley had been cut through so the decent was ok and the snow was soft enough for some swift glissading.

Climbing Conditions - plenty of low down ice; higher up it's not been warm enough for water or snow to consolidate so lots of fluffy white stuff but it's not good for whacking pic's into. The icefalls bewlow the CiC look good, The Curtain isn't in codition. Italian Climb looked like the snow was unconsolidated; Italian Right-Hand looked thin; and Vanishing Gully looked like it might be OK. Ridges look great though.

Icefalls below CiC hut

Beinn Udlaidh - Quartzvein Scoop

Today Simon and I joined the crowds at Quartzvein Scoop IV.4 and it's a superb route well worth (a bit) of queing. We had a late start, planning to be behind the crowds and saw 5 parties ahead of us, some already topping out, as we walked in.

The conditions are great and timing was perfect with us missing the busiest period and getting back to the car as it got dark.